Monday, August 8, 2022

Enter The Sandman!

The Sandman Comics

In honor of the new Netflix show that came out this weekend, which turned out brilliant in my opinion, I am posting about my all time, absolutely favorite graphic novel collection, The Sandman by Neil Gaiman. A friend back in high school introduced me to these graphic novels, and I was hooked right away. They were not as well known in those days, but now the stories and characters have found their way into the hearts and minds of many people. As a huge fan I'm delighted that they are loved by readers everywhere. 

Orpheus's Song: Fables and Reflections

About the graphic novels (just a bit, because you should read them if you're into fantasy comic books): The Endless are anthropomorphic beings known as Dream, Death, Destiny, Desire, Despair, Delirium, and Destruction. They are siblings. The Endless are not gods; but they are immortal, and, in a sense, more powerful than gods, having an intimate connection to humanity. Dream (Lord Morpheus) is the ruler of the dream realm, and the story begins with his capture by a wicked sorcerer, who holds him prisoner and steals his tools; helm, ruby, and bag of sand. The stories and characters evolve, and hoo boy do they take the reader on a fantastical journey into the depths of imagination and myth. My favorite volume is Fables and Reflections; Orpheus's Song

Neil Gaiman is a master storyteller. He is a great influence on my creative writing, and his stories help me find truth betwixt the lines. The Sandman lives top shelf in my library. I started collecting these graphic novels at sixteen, and I believe I bought the last volume in my late twenties. The thrill of finding a new one in a book shop or comic store was exhilarating. I couldn't wait to get home and disappear into the pages. All of the illustrators who worked on The Sandman are amazing; they brought the stories to life in my imagination. 

Every volume I own came from special book nook. Cave Comics in Newtown, CT is a favorite place to seek out new graphic novels, and one day, I was lucky enough to find this gorgeous resin statue of Dream.

Dream of the Endless, key to Hell


The Endless

From the left: Death, Delirium, Destiny, Desire, Despair, Destruction (cut off)

These books are not for very young readers, but if you like comics and love to sail off into fantastical stories, The Sandman graphic novels may be for you. As I mentioned, I think the show on Netflix is excellent- but of course, nothing is as good as the original work. I wrote another post over at FairdaysFiles.com about my collection of graphic novels if you're interested in more stories that will whisk you away on a wondrous journey.


Things change, but some things stay the same. Listening to great music on headphones and reading excellent comics will forever be a source of joy for me, and it brings me great pleasure to share these stories with you.  ~ Jess Haight

28 comments:

  1. Neil Gaiman is one of my favourite authors. I haven't read The Sandman series and can see that I should.

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  2. Sorry, not my cup of tea! Have a great week, Valerie

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    1. Valerie- That's what makes the world so exciting! :)

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  3. I've not read the full graphic novels but I agree the series is excellent so far.

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    1. Alex- Glad you are enjoying the series so far. :)

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  4. I didn't realize that this was a graphic novel series. How cool! I have The Sandman on my Netflix list. I'll have to watch it soon since you enjoyed it. Thanks.

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  5. Haven't read Sandman but do enjoy Neil Gaiman's other works. Will take a look at it after your review.

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  6. I just started watching The Sandman and so far I like it.

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  7. I haven't read the graphic novels, but I've been curious about the Netflix show. Glad to hear you found it brilliant!

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  8. This show has featured in our news ... but not something I would watch.

    All the best Jan
    https://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.com/

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    1. Jan- That's one thing that makes the world exciting- so many different people and choices. :)

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  9. Whilst not a fan of this author, I know, please don't hate me, I must admit this adaptation looks wonderful and is something I'll definitely be watching.

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    1. Felicity- I love that everyone loves what they love. Not everything is for everyone. It makes the world exciting. I am glad that the adaptations look like something you might enjoy. ;)

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  10. I appreciate your reflection. I tried the comics years ago and was turned off. Gaiman is hit or miss for me. Graveyard Book is wonderful. But Sandman veered too close to horror for my tastes.

    I may give the series another try. My wife is reading it, and watching the TV show. She assures me it gets better as it goes. We'll see.

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    1. I love the Graveyard Book, too! Did you end up giving the tv series another try?

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  11. You know, I wasn't going to watch that series, but after hearing you review the books I think I will give it a chance.

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  12. Hi Jess - taken me a while to get here ... but I do want to read the book, as too see the series ... I'll be back to read this post properly and check how I can get the book and see the creative tv version. Thanks for writing it up for us - cheers Hilary

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  13. Thanks for this post, Jess. I need a new series, and this one sounds perfect.

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